north america-1-第15章

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hing。　　The　Crown　has　no　such　power　in　England；　because　it　must　change　its　ministers　whenever　called　upon　to　do　so　by　the　House　of　Commons。　　But　the　Colonial　Minister　in　Downing　Street　is　the　Crown's　Prime　Minister　as　regards　the　colonies；　and　he　is　changed　not　as　any　colonial　House　of　Assembly　may　wish；　but　in　accordance　with　the　will　of　the　British　Commons。　　Both　the　houses　in　Canadathat；　namely；　of　the　Representatives；　or　Lower　Houses　and　of　the　Legislative　Council；　or　Upper　Houseare　now　elective；　and　are　filled　without　direct　influence　from　the　Crown。　　The　power　of　self…government　is　as　thoroughly　developed　as　perhaps　may　be　possible　in　a　colony。　　But；　after　all；　it　is　a　dependent　form　of　government；　and　as　such　may　perhaps　not　conduce　to　so　thorough　a　development　of　the　resources　of　the　country　as　might　be　achieve　under　a　ruling　power　of　its　own；　to　which　the　welfare　of　Canada　itself　would　be　the　chief　if　not　the　only　object。　I　beg　that　it　may　not　be　considered　from　this　that　I　would　propose　to　Canada　to　set　up　for　itself　at　once　and　declare　itself　independent。　　In　the　first　place　I　do　not　wish　to　throw　over　Canada；　and　in　the　next　place　I　do　not　wish　to　throw　over　England。　If　such　a　separation　shall　ever　take　place；　I　trust　that　it　may　be　caused；　not　by　Canadian　violence；　but　by　British　generosity。　　Such　a　separation；　however；　never　can　be　good　till　Canada　herself　shall　wish　it。　　That　she　does　not　wish　it　yet；　is　certain。　　If　Canada　ever　should　wish　it；　and　should　ever　press　for　the　accomplishment　of　such　a　wish；　she　must　do　so　in　connection　with　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick。　　If　at　any　future　time　there　be　formed　such　a　separate　political　power；　it　must　include　the　whole　of　British　North　America。　In　the　mean　time；　I　return　to　my　assertion；　that　in　entering　Canada　from　the　States　one　clearly　comes　from　a　richer　to　a　poorer　country。　　When　I　have　said　so；　I　have　heard　no　Canadian　absolutely　deny　it；　though　in　refraining　from　denying　it；　they　have　usually　expressed　a　general　conviction；　that　in　settling　himself　for　life　it　is　better　for　a　man　to　set　up　his　staff　in　Canada　than　in　the　States。　　〃I　do　not　know　that　we　are　richer；〃　a　Canadian　says；　〃but　on　the　whole　we　are　doing　better　and　are　happier。〃　　Now；　I　regard　the　golden　rules　against　the　love　of　gold；　the　〃aurum　irrepertum　et　sic　melius　situm；〃　and　the　rest　of　it；　as　very　excellent　when　applied　to　individuals。　　Such　teaching　has　not　much　effect；　perhaps；　in　inducing　men　to　abstain　from　wealth；　but　such　effect　as　it　may　have　will　be　good。　　Men　and　women　do；　I　suppose；　learn　to　be　happier　when　they　learn　to　disregard　riches。　　But　such　a　doctrine　is　absolutely　false　as　regards　a　nation。　　National　wealth　produces　education　and　progress；　and　through　them　produces　plenty　of　food；　good　morals；　and　all　else　that　is　good。　　It　produces　luxury　also；　and　certain　evils　attendant　on　luxury。　　But　I　think　it　may　be　clearly　shown；　and　that　it　is　universally　acknowledged；　that　national　wealth　produces　individual　well…being。　　If　this　be　so；　the　argument　of　my　friend　the　Canadian　is　naught。　To　the　feeling　of　a　refined　gentleman；　or　of　a　lady　whose　eye　loves　to　rest　always　on　the　beautiful；　an　agricultural　population　that　touches　its　hat；　eats　plain　victuals；　and　goes　to　church；　is　more　picturesque　and　delightful　than　the　thronged　crowd　of　a　great　city；　by　which　a　lady　and　gentleman　is　hustled　without　remorse；　which　never　touches　its　hat；　and　perhaps　also　never　goes　to　church。　　And　as　we　are　always　tempted　to　approve　of　that　which　we　like；　and　to　think　that　that　which　is　good　to　us　is　good　altogether；　wethe　refined　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　England　I　meanare　very　apt　to　prefer　the　hat　touchers　to　those　who　are　not　hat　touchers。　　In　doing　so　we　intend；　and　wish；　and　strive　to　be　philanthropical。　　We　argue　to　ourselves　that　the　dear　excellent　lower　classes　receive　an　immense　amount　of　consoling　happiness　from　that　ceremony　of　hat　touching；　and　quite　pity　those　who；　unfortunately　for　themselves；　know　nothing　about　it。　　I　would　ask　any　such　lady　or　gentleman　whether　he　or　she　does　not　feel　a　certain　amount　of　commiseration　for　the　rudeness　of　the　town…bred　artisan　who　walks　about　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　as　though　he　recognized　a　superior　in　no　one？　But　that　which　is　good　and　pleasant　to　us　is　often　not　good　and　pleasant　altogether。　　Every　man's　chief　object　is　himself；　and　the　philanthropist　should　endeavor　to　regard　this　question；　not　from　his　own　point　of　view；　but　from　that　which　would　be　taken　by　the　individuals　for　whose　happiness　he　is　anxious。　　The　honest；　happy　rustic　makes　a　very　pretty　picture；　and　I　hope　that　honest　rustics　are　happy。　　But　the　man　who　earns　two　shillings　a　day　in　the　country　would　always　prefer　to　earn　five　in　the　town。　　The　man　who　finds　himself　bound　to　touch　his　hat　to　the　squire　would　be　glad　to　dispense　with　that　ceremony；　if　circumstances　would　permit。　　A　crowd　of　greasy…coated　town　artisans；　with　grimy　hands　and　pale　faces；　is　not　in　itself　delectable；　but　each　of　that　crowd　has　probably　more　of　the　goods　of　life　than　any　rural　laborer。　　He　thinks　more；　reads　more；　feels　more；　sees　more；　hears　more；　learns　more；　and　lives　more。　　It　is　through　great　cities　that　the　civilization　of　the　world　has　progressed；　and　the　charms　of　life　been　advanced。　　Man　in　his　rudest　state　begins　in　the　country；　and　in　his　most　finished　state　may　retire　there。　　But　the　battle　of　the　world　has　to　be　fought　in　the　cities；　and　the　country　that　shows　the　greatest　city　population　is　ever　the　one　that　is　going　most　ahead　in　the　world's　history。　If　this　be　so；　I　say　that　the　argument　of　my　Canadian　friend　was　naught。　　It　may　be　that　he　does　not　desire　crowded　cities；　with　dirty；　independent　artisans；　that　to　view　small　farmers；　living　sparingly；　but　with　content；　on　the　sweat　of　their　brows；　are　surer　signs　of　a　country's　prosperity　than　hives　of　men　and　smoking　chimneys。　　He　has　probably　all　the　upper　classes　of　England　with　him　in　so　thinking；　and　as　far　as　I　know　the　upper　classes　of　all　Europe。　　But　the　crowds　themselves；　the　thick　masses　of　which　are　composed　those　populations　which　we　count　by　millions；　are　against　him。　　Up　in　those　regions　which　are　watered　by　the　great　lakes　Lake　Michigan；　Lake　Huron；　Lake　Erie；　Lake　Ontarioand　by　the　St。　Lawrence；　the　country　is　divided　between　Canada　and　the　States。　The　cities　in　Canada　were　settled　long　before　those　in　the　States。　Quebec　and　Montreal　were　important　cities　before　any　of　the　towns　belonging　to　the　States　had　been　founded。　　But　taking　the　population　of　three　of　each；　including　the　three　largest　Canadian　towns；　we　find　they　are　as　follows：　In　Canada；　Quebec　has　60；000；　Montreal；　85；000；　Toronto；　55；000。　　In　the　States；　Chicago　has　120；000；　Detroit；　70；000；　and　Buffalo；　80；000。　　If　the　population　had　been　equal；　it　would　have　shown　a　great　superiority　in　the　progress　of　those　belonging　to　the　States；　because　the　towns　of　Canada　had　so　great　a　start。　　But　the　numbers　are　by　no　means　equal；　showing　instead　a　vast　preponderance　in　favor　of　the　States。　There　can　be　no　stronger　proof　that　the　States　are　advancing　faster　than　Canada；　and　in　fact　doing　better　than　Canada。　Quebec　is　a　very　picturesque　town；　from　its　natural　advantages　almost　as　much　so　as　any　town　I　know。　　Edinburgh；　perhaps；　and　Innspruck　may　beat　it。　　But　Quebec　has　very　little　to　recommend　it　beyond　the　beauty　of　its　situation。　　Its　public　buildings　and　works　of　art　do　not　deserve　a　long　narrative。　　It　stands　at　the　confluence　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　St。　Charles　Rivers；　the　best　part　of　the　town　is　built　high　upon　the　rockthe　rock　which　forms　the　celebrated　plains　of　Abram；　and　the　view　from　thence　down　to　the　mountains　which　shut　in　the　St。　Lawrence　is　magnificent。　　The　best　point　of　view　is；　I　think；　from　the　esplanade；　which　is　distant　some　five　minutes'　walk　from　the　hotels。　　When　that　has　been　seen　by　the　light　of　the　setting　sun；　and　seen　again；　if　possible；　by　moonlight；　the　most　considerable　lion　of　Quebec　may　be　regarded　as　〃done；〃　and　may　be　ticked　off　from　the　list。　The　most　considerable　lion；　according　to　my　taste。　　Lions　which　roar　merely　by　the　force　of　association　of　ideas　are　not　to　me　very　valuable　beasts。　　To　many　the　rock　over　which　Wolfe　climbed　to　the　pl